Allen Brooks – “People Can Change”

Allen Brooks – “People Can Change” – Single Review

Well…even though I’d count myself as amongst the most skeptical about what Allen Brooks is proposing here, I certainly hope that he’s right and I’m wrong.  It hasn’t been my personal experience, but I can appreciate where Allen’s coming from in believing that “People Can Change” – if we’re to judge based on what we hear in this particular single, I’d tell ya that it seems pretty important to him to believe that they can right now.  Much of this song sounds like a desperate plea to be afforded the opportunity to right some past wrongs…again, I’m definitely not at all opposed to making amends and mending fences.

As to how we’d go about doing that, or the fundamental reasons as to why we’d want to…chances are Allen and I are leading significantly different lives…and that’s okay.  We can still find some common ground, much like I pointed out in the opening paragraph of this here review, right?  I think it’s GREAT that he wants to be better than he was yesterday!  Who wouldn’t?  I think that’s the way we should all be leading our lives when it comes right down to it, and I don’t judge anybody for taking longer to reach that conclusion than some of the rest of us do.  I take the wins where & when they’re available, so if Allen is now on team improvement, heck, I’m happy to have the guy and welcome him to the club.  None of us are perfect of course, but we do all have the ability to be better versions of ourselves each and every day.  Is that an example of change?  Perhaps.  I’ve personally always believed in that kind of philosophy, but if you ended up adopting that as your own and hadn’t realized life was better being like that before, then sure…I’m open to that being a possible definition of change if you were to stick with it.

Where Brooks and I would be massively different, I assume, is in who we’re ultimately responsible to hold ourselves accountable to.  For me, it’s me…pretty straightforward.  Sure I could argue that it’s my wife and my loved ones and all that kind of good stuff – but all those great parts of my life are predicated on the fact that I’m okay…so like being in an airplane crash, I make sure my oxygen mask is firmly strapped on tight so that I can help the others around me too – make sense?  For Allen, based on what we hear in “People Can Change,” he’s a religious dude…so for him, it’s his God that would hold him accountable to making the changes he needs to.  While that personally holds no sway with me – I honestly don’t think it matters whatsoever when it comes to WHY we would want to be better versions of ourselves so long as we actually put those feelings into action – that’s what really matters.  So if that’s this God or that God that makes you feel like you wanna do good things in life, you’ll find I’m all for it even if I don’t feel the need to have that same kind of religion to guide me.  I’m all for whatever WORKS.  I’m all for ACTION over WORDS.  When it comes to this whole debate that surrounds whether people can or can’t change, I’ve seen, read, and experienced a TON of great intentions – but none of that ever matters without a genuine buy in to the concept, and follow-through occurring through tangible action.  I like to think that we can hear the sincerity in Allen’s voice as he sings “People Can Change” – but it’s not me that he has to convince his words are true – it’s him.  Not Him, but him…you get what I mean.  Maybe at the end of days or whatever it is that’s explained in the book will have him judged by someone else for the things he did or didn’t do, but in the meantime, he’s got to stare at his own face in the mirror and justify his existence…Allen is the one that Allen needs to help measure his progress on the path to becoming a better person & I sincerely hope that he achieves every goal he has in that respect.

As for the song itself…t’ain’t bad.  It’s not really my thing, but that’s never a factor that really matters all that much.  He’s got a bit of a…like an acoustic Bon Jovi thing kinda goin’ on…and that’s just not really the style I personally seek out in what I normally listen to, but admittedly, Brooks wears this suit very well & it all sounds like a good fit for him.  I think that Allen gets some real fantastic highlights outta his voice as he sings the melody, especially found within the main hooks of the chorus.  His performance is something to be proud of – he makes me WANT to believe in the words that he’s singing, and that the next time Brooks and I cross paths, he will indeed be a better person than he was today, so on and so on.  That’d be ideal.  I mean heck, I truly hope that’s the case for ALL of you out there.  What else can I tell ya…let’s see, let’s see.  Ultimately, I think the words are what are intended to take on the starring role here…I feel like Allen has created a personal anthem to help guide himself on the path to being the best version of himself, and I think that could be an important step on his road to recovery.  In that respect, I really like the context of “People Can Change” & how it actually incorporates a ton of melancholy & self-reflective sound into the music and vocals…because it’s not like Brooks is saying that people HAVE changed – he’s saying that they CAN.  Like a job that’s continually unfinished, you have to think about it…you have to know there’s always more that can be done, and be willing to get back in there and do the work, whatever it takes.  This song could be the first step in that journey for him – that part we don’t know – but it might just be the first step for someone else too…and that’s a sweet thing to think about.  By presumably writing this song for himself, perhaps Brooks will be able to help someone else as a result…and I can’t think of a better thing that can happen in life than that right there.  Someone might just hear “People Can Change” at the time they need to hear it most, and they might very well take some necessary steps to become a better version of themselves too – again, if that’s the case, I’m all for it.  I don’t think we need a ton of flashy chops on display to move the hearts and minds of the people out there when it comes to making music…you just need to come from a real place that people can relate to.  I’m quite confident that a lot of folks will hear what Allen is singing about and feel like his message applies to their own lives as well.  I hope they do!  That’s the way that evolution works…a piece at a time…through communication, sincerity, dedication and genuine effort – that’s how society levels up, and takes people like Allen that once felt like they were at the lowest of the low points in life, to rediscover their purpose, their passions, and their ability to help other people too.

Find out more about Allen Brooks from his official websites below!

Main website:  https://allenbrooks.net

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/4SwGWYZAYUZ04N3nompUyN

Apple Music:  https://music.apple.com/us/artist/allen-brooks/361309405

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOolMDn61XQ8x_xkKuqVmQw

Deezer:  https://www.deezer.com/fr/artist/3100061

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